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Woodwind faculty will perform commissioned piece

March 08, 2012

Augustana's woodwind faculty ensemble, Four Winds, will perform a commissioned piece, Woodwind Quartet, at a recital on Tuesday, March 20, at 8 p.m. in Wallenberg Hall, inside the Denkmann Memorial Building (3520 7th Ave.). The recital is free and open to the public.

Composer Bill Douglas completed Woodwind Quartet in May 2011, nearly one year after beginning it. The piece showcases the basic jazz form with a contrasting middle section, and it was influenced by Irish and African music.

"We all feel that an audience is going to enjoy the jazz flavor in every section," said Four Winds bassoonist Susan Bawden. "We are finding that the more we rehearse it, the greater we appreciate the structure and flow of the movements."

In addition to Bawden, oboist Cynthia Lambrecht, clarinetist Susan Schwaegler and flutist Janet Stodd comprise Augustana's Four Winds. These ensemble members all are part-time instructors of music, and they are among the 105 groups and individuals who commissioned the piece and have the exclusive rights to perform it before it is made available to the general public.

Other works on the program are Divertimento in Bb for woodwind trio by Joachim Kotschau, Trio for Flute, Clarinet and Bassoon by Donald Draganski and Fragments by Robert Muczynski.